This invention relates to sports employing a ball and, more particularly, to volleyball. More specifically, the invention relates to a new device for improving one""s skills for hitting and/or spiking the ball.
One of the skills used in playing the game of volleyball is spiking. The art of spiking involves one player (a setter) projecting the ball into the air while another player (a hitter) strikes the ball forward and downward over the net into the opposing team""s court. Spiking can be examined in three basic steps, the approach, jump, and swing. The approach often involves complicated footwork enabling a hitter to put his/her body in the most desirable position for contact of the ball. The jump involves planting both feet on the ground at the same time while rotating the arms backward then forward in a lunging motion to achieve maximum vertical leap. The swing will desirably contact the projected ball at the peak of one""s jump with his/her arm fully extended while snapping the wrist over the top with sufficient force to cause the ball to spin forward and downward with great velocity. These three steps, coupled with the variable of projecting or setting the ball, are very difficult to learn. Consequently, it is beneficial to isolate the setting of the ball, allowing the hitter to concentrate and focus on the approach, jump, and swing. Hence, a need exists to suspend a volleyball in the air for practicing the art of spiking. A ball-suspending device must not compromise the hitter""s safety and it should simulate actual play.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,948,150 to Daly, Jr. et al. (1990) discloses a device using a standard volleyball placed into a plastic mesh bag that is suspended by flexible tubing attached to a circular backboard. The commercially available Pro Spike Trainer by American Athletics Inc. of Jefferson, Iowa, closely resembles U.S. Pat. No. 4,948,150. Another U.S. Pat. No. 4,881,742 to Hargreave (1989) shows a device using a standard volleyball placed into a plastic mesh bag that is attached to semi-rigid tubing that rotates on a horizontal axle. The commercially available Hoop Spike by Riptide Volleyball of Yorksville, Ill., employs a four-legged strap that encompasses a standard volleyball. The four-legged strap is suspended from the top by a single strap that attaches to a horizontal backboard that is placed on a standard basketball rim. The Spike Master is another four-legged strap device that is commercially available from American Athletics Inc. of Jefferson, Iowa. Such a device encompasses a standard volleyball and the four-legged strap is suspended by two horizontal straps attached at opposite sides. Several of the above mentioned devices borrow techniques from the boxer""s training device called a xe2x80x9cspeed bagxe2x80x9d or a child""s game called xe2x80x9ctether ballxe2x80x9d. The speed bag is pivotably attached at the center of a circular horizontal backboard. The bag is hit with the arms rotating the fists about each other while rhythmically striking the front side. The game of tether ball consists of an eight foot pole having one end of a six foot rope tied to it""s top and the other end tied to a playground ball. The game is played by striking the ball on the sides propelling it around the pole until the rope completely winds inxe2x80x94ending the game. Neither the attached tether ball nor the speed bag retaining devices are designed to be effectively hit over the top, i.e., striking at a downward angle from the point of attachment primarily on the upper hemisphere of the ball relative to vertical. Consequently, retaining a volleyball, for use as a hitting device, with mesh bags, straps, tubing, etc., creates several disadvantages. For instance, retaining the ball prevents the hitter from analyzing his/her progress through examination of ball trajectory and/or landing position within the playing field of the sport, e.g., volleyball court boundary or baseball foul lines; prevents the hitter from familiarizing himself/herself with correct contact; introduces the possibility of injury to the hitter by entanglement of his/her fingers or hand, or shock from a bat; requires a heavy base or strong frame members to distribute the force imparted by the hitter. Furthermore, such previously disclosed devices fail to meet important criteriaxe2x80x94safety of the ball striker and realism of the ball""s trajectory.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,897,950 to Keller (1975) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,798,390 to Dooley (1989) show a different approach whereby a volleyball is cradled from underneath on both sides, allowing the ball to be hit and released into the opposing court over its struck trajectory. While this method simulates a fair degree of realism, disadvantages are evident. First, the cradling device obstructs the swing path on opposite sides of the held ball presenting the possibility for injury to the hitter""s hand and or arm, thus leaving little room for error when used by a beginner. Secondly, the frame types used for the cradle method do not facilitate easy reloading. To reload in the method of U.S. Pat. No. 3,897,950 one must lower the telescoping upper half of the device, place a ball in the cradle, and then raise the upper half to the desired height without disturbing the cradled ball. A step ladder may also be used. This device requires a second person to hold the frame at the upright to prevent tipping over. Finally U.S. Pat. No. 4,798,390 has a five ball dispenser for reloading the cradle quickly, but requires a ladder, which is awkward and time consuming.
Such prior art devices do not always provide sufficient safety while simulating actual play. While these devices simulate a degree of realism, they compromise the hitter""s safety by obstructing the hand-arm swing path at the sides and the reloading methods of these devices do not facilitate an efficient workout. Also, there is one common element among all of the discussed prior artxe2x80x94they all use a standard volleyball, i.e., a non-modified volleyball. However, U.S. Pat. No. 4,161,313, issued to Dickey modified a basketball""s surface by wrapping an inlaid sheet of ferromagnetic material exposed on the ballcover for attraction to an electromagnet suspended above the basketball. However, the ballcover and/or the inlaid sheet on the modified basketball is, inter alia, subject to peeling or loosening from the surface especially adjacent the inlaid portion after only minimal or moderate use and is not disclosed as able to withstand high impact and/or high compression. Such a ball described in the Dickey reference is not designed to repeatedly impact the typical hardwood floor of a gymnasium with a high amount of force. The exposed ferromagnetic material in Dickey can easily damage the floor by marring, scratching or gouging during impact and, described as used for tipping and rebounding, is not designed for use in the manner for standard basketball game use, such as dribbling, passing, shooting and the like. The inlaid ferromagnetic material does not have the same elastomer characteristics as the standard rubber of the basketball, thus the compression characteristics change dramatically.
Furthermore, in the sport of baseball or softball, one prior art practice device includes a tee supported upwardly from the ground with an upper end that cradles a standard ball at or very close to the bottom-most point of the lower hemisphere of the ball (relative to vertical), which allows the hitter to impact primarily the side surface of the ball. It is unusually difficult to propel the ball off the tee in a downward trajectory, such as hitting a xe2x80x9cgrounder,xe2x80x9d without hindering the hitter""s swing path. Moreover, the tee provides no opportunity for the hitter to impact a moving ball. U.S. Pat. No. 3,397,885 issued to Nash modified a baseball by inserting a metal screw into the baseball, but leaving the screw exposed to the exterior to allow a magnet suspended from a cable or rope to attract and hold the baseball for striking. Although a moving ball could be struck, the exposed metal screw must be periodically cleaned and rust removed from the unplated screw to ensure good and consistant attachment. Also, the screw in the baseball of Nash, though not harmful to the baseball field surface upon impact, is damaging to a hard surfaced floor and impractical in a gas-inflated ball such as a volleyball. In any event, a need exists for devices that allow release of a moving or stationary ball upon impact accompanied by realistic trajectory of the propelled ball, yet still allow convenient loading, positioning and retainment of the ball prior to impact and reloading of another after impact. Furthermore, a need exists for a ball that can be conveniently attached to a suspension system, yet appear unmodified on its outer ballcover and, particularly in the case of gas-inflated balls such as a volleyball, be capable of accepting impacts causing more than 5, 10 or 15 percent compression of its normally inflated volume without causing injury upon bodily contact (arms, hands, etc.) or damage to a hardwood floor (volleyball court, gymnasium floor, etc).
Briefly, the invention includes a ball having an attachment fixture releasably attached to the ball that allows supported displacement of the ball. The attachment fixture includes means for the ball being retained and released from a generally downwardly hanging support having an area of attachment for attaching and detaching the ball. The preferred attachment fixture includes a magnetic or magnet-attractable material beneath the ballcover of a modified ball. A magnet-attractable material includes those materials that are attractable by a magnet. The ball is usually struck and released (and displaced) from a pivotable attachment arm connected to the support, while the ball is suspended above the ground or a floor against earth gravitational force. The arm attachment normally mates with the outer surface (e.g., ballcover) of the suspended ball at single or multiple area(s) of attachment, usually located on the upper 75 percent and preferably on the upper hemisphere of the ball (relative to vertical), but still a safe distance from contact by a ball strikerxe2x80x94generally distal from the striking position. Usually during operation, the area of attachment (which can be a plurality of areas of attachment) in contact with the retaining means fixedly attached to the surface of the ball is located at least ten circumferential degrees from the ball striker""s point of impact, i.e., a location generally distal from the striking portionxe2x80x94a distance providing sufficient safety for the hitter""s swing path (including follow-through) to result in essentially no contact with the support or attachment arm.
Preferably, a volleyball is modified to contain a magnetic or magnet-attractable retaining means fixedly attached on a minor portion of its outer surface that allows the modified volleyball to be attached to and released from a mating portion of the pivotable arm attachment which pivots about the support. In a preferred embodiment, magnet-attractable materials such as metal-containing materials (e.g., iron-containing, alloys, and the like,) are attached to the ball. The magnet-attractable material is preferably located under the outer cover of the modified ball (e.g., volleyball), on at least one area of the circumference of the ball. The ball-mating portion of the pivotable arm attachment contains a sufficiently strong magnet (e.g., permanent magnet such as neodymium rare earth and samarium cobalt rare earth magnets) that can releaseably attach such a modified ball at an area of the magnet-attractable material. The ball-mating portion of the pivotable arm attachment can further include a ball-contouring surface of usually less than about 45 circumferencial (arc) degrees of the ball that provides sufficient control of the torque or moment of the releasing force of the magnet contained in the pivotable arm attachment and the magnet-attractable material near the surface of the ball. Magnets and magnet-attractable retaining materials, particularly when located beneath and adjacent the ballcover, must be of sufficient strength to hold the weight of the ball from falling to the earth or floor from the generally downwardly directed ball-attaching means associated with or connected to the support. The device of the invention can serve as a training device where a player (e.g., student spiker) strikes the retained volleyball in a pre-struck position with sufficient force to release the volleyball from the supported attachment arm to be displaced to a struck position and causing the attachment arm to pivot clear of the trajectory path of the volleyball and the player""s striking path. The volleyball can be effectively propelled in a multi-directional manner at a velocity up to about 200 miles per hour (mph) by forces as small as a slight tap (i.e., sufficient to overcome the anti-gravitational force of the retaining means) up to about 350 pounds, i.e., that generated by heavy hitters. The device can be operated by adjusting the height of the point or area(s) of attachment for the ball (relative to the floor or to a ceiling) to provide convenient and rapid reloading of the ball during the course of multiple practice strikes. The pivotable attachment arm is raised and lowered by support means that may include a sheave assembly having the pivotable attachment arm pivoting about the lower end of the sheave assembly and flexible rope, cable, and the like, controlled in an tangle-preventing manner about the central and/or upper portion to adjust the height of the suspended ball for loading and striking. A preferred sheave assembly allows the pivotable attachment arm to pivot or rotate through at least a 360 degree arc, i.e., through a full circular arc that allows the ball-attaching end of the pivotable attachment arm to pass through an open central portion of the sheave assembly and continue around to return to its original position after ball impact and ball release.
Advantages of the present invention include providing a device that allows a hitter to analyze his/her progress through examination of ball trajectory and landing position within the playing field of the sport, e.g., a boundary of a volleyball court, providing a device that permits the hitter to familiarize himself/herself with correct impact of the ball within the contact zone, providing a device that allows the hitter to practice a variety of techniques with clear-unobstructed swing path, providing a device that is quickly and easily reloaded, and providing a device or method that can be used by as little as one player or hitter.